Lewis and Clark seem to be an inseparable duo that forged through the wilderness
nearly 200 years ago at the request of Thomas Jefferson. But who were these men?
Family
Meriwether Lewis was born at Locust Hill in Albemarle County, Virginia on
August 18, 1774. His parents were William and Lucy Meriwether Lewis, descendents of
Nicolas Meriwether who received a royal land grant in Virginia from King George II and
from which Locust Hill plantation was carved. Meriwether was the second child of
William and Lucy but the eldest boy. The Lewis branch of the family were of Welsh
origin while the Meriwether half were from both Welsh and English descent. Their
family was a kind of extended clan with dozens of cousins living close to one another.
The Lewis family mingled with the Piedmont elite, the Jeffersons, Randolphs, and
Madisons. His own father was a Revolutionary War hero and the third signer of the
Virginia Declaration of Independence in 1779. Unfortunately, William Lewis died in that
same year from pneumonia while on leave visiting his family; Meriwether was five years
old.
Early Life
Meriwether Lewis was born with the American Revolution. During his early
years his head would have been filled with stories of the exploits of his father and other
Revolutionary figures who triumphed over the British. Albemarle County was a
particularly active region during this time, housing troops, imprisoning war captives, and
the Tarleton invasion of 1781. Amid all of this wartime fervor and insecurity Meriwether
grew with his two siblings and learned what it meant to be a Lewis in this region. His
mother was a skilled cook and herbalist whose spunky nature was known throughout the
region. Meriwether would have spent the days fishing, hunting or roaming the forests
around Locust Hill. Gov. George Gilmer of Georgia described young Meriwether as
“having inherited the energy, courage, activity, and good understanding of his mother.”
(Dillon p. 12)
Georgia
Shortly after the tragic loss of William Lewis, his widow Lucy married a fellow
officer, Captain John Marks in May of 1780. John Marks was a friend of Thomas
Jefferson and was forced to leave the military for health-related reasons. Some time after
the Revolution ended Capt. Marks moved the entire family to Broad River, Georgia as
part of the new settlement created by General George Mathews. Though Meriwether had
inherited Locust Hill through tradition primogeniture upon his father’s death, he was too
young to run the large plantation and family members held it in trust for him while he
accompanied his family to their new home.
At this time Georgia was considered more of a frontier territory than Albemarle
County, Virginia. It was in this raw, untamed land that Meriwether enhanced his skills as
a hunter and outdoorsman. Also, it was at this time that Meriwether became interested in
natural history, a lifelong passion. Lucy Marks taught her eldest son how to gather wild
herbs for medicinal purposes. It was also in Broad River that Meriwether Lewis first
dealt with a native Indian group. The Cherokee Indians lived in antagonistic proximity to
the white settlers, but Meriwether seems to have been a champion for the Cherokee
amongst his own people. Meriwether Lewis stayed in Georgia only a shot time, he chose
to return to Virginia sometime between the ages of 12 and 14 to claim his inheritance,
Locust Hill and to take his place amongst the community of Albemarle County.
Education
Meriwether’s formal education began with his return to Virginia. As was the
custom local pastors such as Parson William Douglas, who was also tutor to the future
presidents Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe, and Parson Matthew Maury instructed him.
Following his studies with Maury, who was father to the great naval mind of the Civil
War Matthew Fontaine Maury, Meriwether began studying with Dr. Charles Everitt. The
relationship between teacher and student was querulous and harsh. Later he was to
transfer to the Rev. James Waddell in 1790. Waddell was to be the last tutor of
Meriwether Lewis who briefly entertained thoughts of entering the College of William
and Mary before settling down to manage his estate, Locust Hill.
On the farms of Locust Hill Meriwether Lewis continued his informal education
by learning to run his estate successfully. During the early years of his managing, he
increased the size of land and carefully observed all of the flora and fauna that grew on
his land. Meriwether Lewis had become one of the gentleman farmers of Virginia.
Military Service/Beginning of the Journey
August 1794 in an effort to squash a revolt over liquor taxes President
Washington mobilized 13,000 militiamen from Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and
Maryland. Meriwether Lewis was among those that joined. Though the revolt was
quickly suppressed, Meriwether learned he had a taste for the military and longed for the
life of a soldier. Late in 1794 he decided to stay on with a volunteer army under the
command of General Daniel Morgan patrolling Pittsburg following the revolt. In August
of 1795 Meriwether joined the forces of General Mad Anthony Wayne at Fallen Timbers
in time for the treaty of Greenville. This brought Meriwether back into contact with the
Native American tribes of North America. By late 1795 Meriwether had been reassigned
to the Chosen Rifle Company commanded by William Clark. Unfortunately, they would
not be together long as Clark was forced to resign his commission due to familial and
health related problems. Meriwether Lewis continued in active military service until
1801 when newly elected Thomas Jefferson invited him to become his private secretary
and aide-de-camp. It is during his service as private secretary to Jefferson that
Meriwether Lewis is believed to have been preparing for the journey west along with the
president. In 1802 Meriwether Lewis took the first step on his journey west by forming
the Corps of Discovery.